This game is all on Buck

[HoustonOrioleFan]

Perfectly said, Tony....Just a bad day at the office, and the A's are contenders for a reason...Nothing yesterday changes the fact that the Orioles are a solid team.

[wildcard]

Tonight the O's have Britton starting, Hunter and McFarland in middle relief and J Johnson to close. Lets see how that works out.

Buck probably needs to give O'Day. Patton, Matusz, and Strop a night off.

A Seattle night game with a big outfield (even with the fences brought in) and a team that is not hitting may be a more friendly environment.

[crowmst3k!]

Tonight the O's have Britton starting, Hunter and McFarland in middle relief and J Johnson to close. Lets see how that works out.

Buck probably needs to give O'Day. Patton, Matusz, and Strop a night off.

A Seattle night game with a big outfield (even with the fences brought in) and a team that is not hitting may be a more friendly environment.

Definitely liking the environment for our pitchers tonight. Even if Britton doesn't have his sinker working, he can get away with being a fly ball pitcher at Safeco.

[Going Underground]

“I think it just happens,” he said. “I got a little bit tired, but you can’t go with that. I do what I had to do and kept the team in the ballgame.”

Did anyone hear Palmer's postgame comments? He said that if Gonzo got tired in a low humidity, cool day start, he better work on conditioning. Also said, that if the starters don't go longer in games that the bullpen will be toast by July. Palmer sounded somewhat frustrated.

http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/orioles/bal-baltimore-orioles-come-undone-late-in-98-loss-to-oakland-20130428,0,549608.story?page=2

[eb45]

Yesterday's game is on Buck because of his bullpen management on Friday and Saturday. A three-run lead in the ninth inning is technically a save situation, yes, but when your closer has pitched in three of the last four games, maybe you can try someone else to get those three outs, especially when the win expectancy is 96% at the start of the inning. There's no rule that says your closer absolutely has to come in whenever there is a save situation. Saturday was even worse, because it started as a non-save situation, and rather than go to Hunter, a fly ball pitcher who doesn't allow a lot of guys on base in a big ballpark, Buck went to Strop, who has been a disaster all year, who promptly made it a save situation, which by Buck logic meant that Johnson was obligated to come in, which then made him unavailable today.

Yes, Johnson was unavailable yesterday, but that's not just a fact of life. Buck made him unavailable. Obviously Gonzalez deserves some blame, and the A's some credit, but Buck's adherence to the absolute letter of the save rule is bordering on absurd. Remember when he was more interested in the win rule?

[JayThomas]

I don't see how this one is on Buck. Not having JJ available really screwed things up. The only think I might have done differently is bring in Hunter instead of Strop. Not that I have faith in Hunter in a close ball game, but I have zero confidence in Strop right now. Either way, Buck didn't allow two two-run homers. I completely supported leaving Matusz in for the 9th. Matusz just didn't do the job. It happens.

Agree all around. Matusz had been stretched out in spring training and has aspirations of being a starter. He has to be able to go multiple innings. This one is on all four pitchers who contributed. None did their jobs.

That said, Buck has used JJ 3 times in the past week in non-save situations. He brought JJ into 2 tie games (I believe in the Toronto series). We split the two games and JJ got hammered in one of those. It all adds up. We sure could use another dependable RHP in the bullpen, but Ayala certainly wasn't it. He let something close to 50% of inherited runners score last year.

[DrungoHazewood]

That said, Buck has used JJ 3 times in the past week in non-save situations. He brought JJ into 2 tie games (I believe in the Toronto series). We split the two games and JJ got hammered in one of those. It all adds up.

If it were up to me JJ would come into any game where he's adequately rested in the 9th where the O's were tied or up 1-2 runs. And depending on situation I'd bring him in sometimes down a run, or occasionally to get out of a tough 8th. Three+ run leads would be someone else's job.

I used to be a big advocate of maximizing leverage index and bringing in the closer whenever it was close and after the 6th. I've backed off a bit, but I'd still tweak the save-defined usage patterns everyone goes with today.

[JayThomas]

What I do blame Buck for is the poor readiness of the starts coming out of Spring Training. I think having so many starters in camp fighting over limited starts, plus having the top tier starters pitch minor league games (to hide them) is a major reason why they are not going deep in games.

I have no experience to justify my opinion, but it certainly seems like these 2 things might be connected. Good catch.

[Crazysilver03]

Definitely liking the environment for our pitchers tonight. Even if Britton doesn't have his sinker working, he can get away with being a fly ball pitcher at Safeco.

They brought the walls in at Safeco. It isn't nearly the flyball park it used to be.

[JayThomas]

A. That was in Sept, with expanded rosters and bullpen, when Buck was using BM as a loogy.

B. With our starting rotation averaging about 6 innings/game, no reliever can be used as a specialist.

C. Brian was stretched out in spring training and wants to start. He can and should go multiple innings and pitch to both RH and LH batters.

D. As Tony points out, Brian's been very good against RH hitters this year, and I believe he was last year as well after being brought up in the pen.

[El Gordo]

Yesterday's game is on Buck because of his bullpen management on Friday and Saturday. A three-run lead in the ninth inning is technically a save situation, yes, but when your closer has pitched in three of the last four games, maybe you can try someone else to get those three outs, especially when the win expectancy is 96% at the start of the inning. There's no rule that says your closer absolutely has to come in whenever there is a save situation. Saturday was even worse, because it started as a non-save situation, and rather than go to Hunter, a fly ball pitcher who doesn't allow a lot of guys on base in a big ballpark, Buck went to Strop, who has been a disaster all year, who promptly made it a save situation, which by Buck logic meant that Johnson was obligated to come in, which then made him unavailable today.

Yes, Johnson was unavailable yesterday, but that's not just a fact of life. Buck made him unavailable. Obviously Gonzalez deserves some blame, and the A's some credit, but Buck's adherence to the absolute letter of the save rule is bordering on absurd. Remember when he was more interested in the win rule?

So if Buck held JJ back yesterday and went to Patton or Matusz or Hunter instead and they gave up HR's and blew it yesterday. that would have been better? Silly. Buck had JJ and Strop both up because it was a save situation. When we got the extra run he sat JJ down. When Strop started his meltdown, JJ was the one who was ready. He could have waited until someone else was ready and by then who knows what the score would have been. In general I refrain from criticizing managers because they know more about the game than I do. But I question them when I can't see the reason behind their decision. I rarely question Buck because the reason for his decisions are almost always abundantly clear. What many seem to fail to understand is that there can be several different but reasonable choices for any baseball situation.

[eb45]

So if Buck held JJ back yesterday and went to Patton or Matusz or Hunter instead and they gave up HR's and blew it yesterday. that would have been better? Silly. Buck had JJ and Strop both up because it was a save situation. When we got the extra run he sat JJ down. When Strop started his meltdown, JJ was the one who was ready. He could have waited until someone else was ready and by then who knows what the score would have been. In general I refrain from criticizing managers because they know more about the game than I do. But I question them when I can't see the reason behind their decision. I rarely question Buck because the reason for his decisions are almost always abundantly clear. What many seem to fail to understand is that there can be several different but reasonable choices for any baseball situation.

The problem is that he chose Strop (who can't find the plate) and Johnson (who has been overworked) to start the ninth inning with a three or four run lead. For the ninth inning, in Oakland, with a four-run lead, I'm going with Hunter or Patton to start the inning, rather than Strop, because Hunter and Patton don't walk guys. If Oakland is going to come back from four runs down, make them hit the ball to do it. And with a three-run lead, I'm still going with Hunter or Patton, because the save rule is arbitrary and meaningless. If you don't have confidence in Hunter, Patton, or McFarland to hold a three-run lead for one inning then they should not be on the team. Period.

[RussellStSports]

So if Buck held JJ back yesterday and went to Patton or Matusz or Hunter instead and they gave up HR's and blew it yesterday. that would have been better? Silly. Buck had JJ and Strop both up because it was a save situation. When we got the extra run he sat JJ down. When Strop started his meltdown, JJ was the one who was ready. He could have waited until someone else was ready and by then who knows what the score would have been. In general I refrain from criticizing managers because they know more about the game than I do. But I question them when I can't see the reason behind their decision. I rarely question Buck because the reason for his decisions are almost always abundantly clear. What many seem to fail to understand is that there can be several different but reasonable choices for any baseball situation.

THIS. This is a common misconception in anything, but it's especially true in sports. Gonzo's pitch count was low enough to let him work through the inning. I have no problem with what Buck did yesterday. In fact, I was hoping he'd do what he did. It unfortunately didn't work out, but that's baseball. We're still in good shape at 15-10.

[El Gordo]

The problem is that he chose Strop (who can't find the plate) and Johnson (who has been overworked) to start the ninth inning with a three or four run lead. For the ninth inning, in Oakland, with a four-run lead, I'm going with Hunter or Patton to start the inning, rather than Strop, because Hunter and Patton don't walk guys. If Oakland is going to come back from four runs down, make them hit the ball to do it. And with a three-run lead, I'm still going with Hunter or Patton, because the save rule is arbitrary and meaningless. If you don't have confidence in Hunter, Patton, or McFarland to hold a three-run lead for one inning then they should not be on the team. Period.

So you think Buck's decision not to go with Patton, or Hunter, wasn't rational? There are as good reason's to go with Strop and JJ, as there are with Hunter and Patton. They are all overworked except for Strop. Just because you can think of reasons for a different decision, doesn't makes Buck's wrong or you smart.

[Rex Thunder]

Huh??? The 4 run Gonzalez inning. I don't get it. He and Adair tend to sit on the bench and watch pitchers go off the cliff. Why wasn't Adair out there talking to Gonzalez?? Worried about a delay of game call? He did the same with Arrieta's last outing... finally came out when with two outs after the damage was done. It wasn't like Gonzalez was getting hit on good pitches. He was all over the place. Six run lead into the sixth, a win is a win. Now he has a worn out bullpen for the Seattle series. Just a very poor job of coaching if not managing.

Wow, what crazy farm did you grow up watching baseball on?? Once again the let's bash Buck because players didnt come thru and execute. lol. Wow, imagine if he went to the bullpen in the game Chen pitched. For the love of all that is holy, QUIT crying and complaining about Buck and his "overusage" of the bullpen.

There are some on here who swear Brian Matusz should be given a chance to start again- but oh wait, then there's you, who KNOWS you can't use him past one inning. For crying out loud, Buck has faith in these guys because they've done it before, they are getting paid a lot of money (some anyway), and he HAS TO! There was a spring training to examine his best options for the bullpen. They have the best pen they can possibly have, and are no doubt always looking to upgrade- but if a player is going to serve up homeruns in a pitchers ballpark, WTF is he supposed to do?????

Buck did EXACTLY what he should do, extend Patton and Matusz, and try to preserve the rest of the bullpen, FOR THE LONG ROADTRIP you are speaking of as if Buck is clueless to. Of course he is trying to save the bullpen. He's also trying to win games, today, tomorrow, and in August and September.

Truth be told, it may have been a blessing in disguise losing yesterday- because a long extra innings game would have COMPLETELY destroyed the pen, and I can only imagine then, win or lose, what the discussion would be like today.

Bottom line, I'm sure Buck would love for nothing else than to have starters that make his life easy, but he doesn't, and we are what we are. A team with mediocre starting pitching that is going to have bullpens matchups and decisions to make every night. Buck does what he thinks is right for the team as he measures short and long term benefit with each one, so stop acting as though the man doesn't have a clue as to what he is doing. If it weren't so irritating to hear constantly, it'd be laugh out loud comedy.